Rochester Institute of Technology

In 2001 B&D was retained by Somerset Builders to assist in the development of a concept for a mixed -use development, Collegetown, planned on a site at the edge of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus. Because RIT was so isolated, students, faculty, and staff were very enthused about this development. Somerset had recently built student housing for RIT that had been very successful and the institute gave them approval to proceed with a proposal for this new development. Our scope of work included tours and interviews with RIT officers; focus groups, surveys, and interviews with students, faculty and staff; retail and housing demand analyses; and a detailed analysis of Collegetown and similar developments. We recommended a new urbanism approach to include 80,000 SF of retail and services, several hundred apartment-style beds and 80 to 180 for-sale units. In both 2005 and 2006, Somerset retained us again to update our 2001 study. And in 2008, Park Point at RIT was completed. The 636,000 SF, $77 million development features extensive retail options and 918 apartment-style beds.

Brailsford & Dunlavey

is a national program management firm offering innovative program management services, from strategic planning through implementation.